At first, this came across a bit thin but quickly rounded into fine form, was decanted approx. 2 hrs. What a unique WA Grenache, taking a very elegant and refined approach within the funky frame of the Rocks AVA. Hard to pinpoint a specific fruit descriptor, but definitely in the red spectrum, loads of spices (whole cluster perhaps?) some white pepper on the respectable finish. What a great change of pace WA red.
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maybe this bottle has turned but I tasted burnt BBQ ashes...perhaps the only bottle of wine that I can remember that I immediately poured down the drain...yuck
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This has an absolutely lovely, classic Grenache nose, very perfumed and pretty. The lightness - in color and palate intensity - that others have noted is, to me, a good thing: a sign of relatively gentle extraction, which is nice to see in a grape that is too often pushed into dull heaviness. Unfortunately, there is a stark bitterness to the palate that throws the wine off-kilter. A nice wine in many ways but ultimately falling a little short.
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Flavor profile is quite light: raspberry and strawberry maybe some red currant. Has some leather notes there on the nose, too, just a little funk. In the mouth, remarkably viscous, a glycerin character, heavy bodied. Needs acidity to balance it out. Would not age this.
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Popped and poured. Fabulous pairing with Mahi tacos. Lightness in the glass, bouquet of fresh cherry and cut grass. Round mouth feel as it rolls across the palate. Boisenberry, cherry, vanilla then POW! Cooking spices and pepper. First glass had a medium finish but 2nd glass had a much longer elegant finish! Great Grenache!
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Big wine. It has a lot going on, including some Cayuse-like funk. It is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy this style, it is a great wine. I thought it was even better the second night.
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On the lighter side of Grenache, sporting an elegant mouthfeel throughout. Red cherry and raspberry notes lead the way up front, with notes of milk chocolate and spice weaving in and a pinch of black pepper that lingers on the medium finish.
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Clear cranberry color in the glass with a nose of sour cherry and a funky element.
On the palate the wine is crazy, yo! Robust, tart, and crisp on entry with cranberry, cherry hard candy, and cherry cola flavors up-front with bramble, molasses, barnyard, and sage following. The finish is zippy and long. So much complexity if a bit disjointed but memorable for sure. What a ride! I'd be curious to see how this would age for 10 years.
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Light and fresh, this drank very well on the second night. Red berry fruit, hints of tobacco, bramble and maybe a touch of barnyard funk. Still has years of development ahead of it, so no rush on consuming. Drink now with air - 2030.
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Double decant. Crunchy red fruits. Floral, Funky and Meaty. Some peppery notes. Smooths out after an hour or two. Almost drinks like a pinot. Sure to improve with time and take on a bit of weight. One of my least favorite k wines but I really do love them all.
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This was incredibly disappointing for me, and I've been a huge fan of K Vintners (Syrah) for some time now. It was interesting yes, but felt so off that I actually wonder if I got a flawed bottle. I really don't think so (didn't feel corked or "muted"- seems like a real cork to me, so I guess it's possible.) Cork was also slightly depressed.
The nose was interesting, but not very inviting. Dunnuck and Parker both mention something like "decayed flowers" which is incredibly accurate, and not in a great way. Smelled like a grandma's perfume drawer that hadn't been opened in years. Sort of a weird peanut butter tone also, which I actually also got with a K Vintners Hidden Syrah recently (thankfully that also showed a lot of other great qualities). Not a lot of intense fruit for me, maaaybe something like dried/muted strawberry. Was still hoping for a nicely energetic palate. (I didn't /hate/ the nose by itself, but didn't love it either. A pinch of red cherry by day 2, but still not very harmonious. Extremely vegetal without any ripeness or brightness to back it up.)
Alas, palate was even weirder. There are tannins, but basically imperceptible- this would be totally fine if it showed good acidity, but I found it to have staggeringly low acidity (anyone else experience this?) making it feel watery and tepid. Even worse, that weird peanut butter/dead flowers thing was very pronounced here too, making the finish so unusually BITTER that I wanted to get the taste out of my mouth as soon as possible. Barely any fruit or energy, just bitter earth. The acidity picked up VERY slightly by day two, but that bitterness is still incredibly overwhelming. I love savory/earthy wines, and this was not like any one I've had before.
Really not sure I'm willing to spend another $40 to see if I got a flawed bottle or not...do my tasting notes resonate with anyone else? Marking as flawed for now so I don't affect the scores I guess...but I actually doubt it was flawed at all.
A big mouthful, sweet plums and prunes. Not your typical Grenache but quite delicious. Only decanted 45 minutes ahead, that was enough to bring it up.
7/30/21 Another bottle = 93. Same comments as January, but the Jack Daniels Pulled Pork was a bit spicy and overran it a little. Still delicious for us Grenache fans.
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Outside of the usual suspects in CdP (beaucastel - pegau - charvin etc) I have really lost my taste for Grenache. Domestic versions even more so. Here is a wonderful exception. Decanted 2 hrs, the nose and palate avoid the main Grenache pitfall for me, overripe or roasted strawberries. Instead, I found this rather chiseled and with great focus, certainly some lovely fruit to enjoy, but its freshness was obvious and palate cleansing. Closing note of white pepper solidifies, and I think this is still holding back and needs 3 to 5 years to fully blossom. Well done.
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11/18/2023 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
At first, this came across a bit thin but quickly rounded into fine form, was decanted approx. 2 hrs. What a unique WA Grenache, taking a very elegant and refined approach within the funky frame of the Rocks AVA. Hard to pinpoint a specific fruit descriptor, but definitely in the red spectrum, loads of spices (whole cluster perhaps?) some white pepper on the respectable finish. What a great change of pace WA red.
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9/13/2023 - Mitra Likes this wine: 89 Points
Funky first day, better second day. It was good with carrots with hummus, also celery. The spicy pesto pasta helped it chill out.
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9/8/2023 - Ericbohl wrote: flawed
maybe this bottle has turned but I tasted burnt BBQ ashes...perhaps the only bottle of wine that I can remember that I immediately poured down the drain...yuck
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7/13/2023 - Benj wrote:
This has an absolutely lovely, classic Grenache nose, very perfumed and pretty. The lightness - in color and palate intensity - that others have noted is, to me, a good thing: a sign of relatively gentle extraction, which is nice to see in a grape that is too often pushed into dull heaviness. Unfortunately, there is a stark bitterness to the palate that throws the wine off-kilter. A nice wine in many ways but ultimately falling a little short.
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5/10/2023 - Motz wrote: 90 Points
Big flavors, with Rocks-like funk. Modest structure. It seems fully resolved. Drink by 2025 or so.
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12/11/2022 - danseng wrote: 70 Points
So light. Unpleasant funk. No acid. Major pass.
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8/26/2022 - pgm Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Flavor profile is quite light: raspberry and strawberry maybe some red currant. Has some leather notes there on the nose, too, just a little funk. In the mouth, remarkably viscous, a glycerin character, heavy bodied. Needs acidity to balance it out. Would not age this.
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4/21/2022 - Swanywawa Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Fabulous pairing with Mahi tacos. Lightness in the glass, bouquet of fresh cherry and cut grass. Round mouth feel as it rolls across the palate. Boisenberry, cherry, vanilla then POW! Cooking spices and pepper. First glass had a medium finish but 2nd glass had a much longer elegant finish! Great Grenache!
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11/12/2021 - Glencoewine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big wine. It has a lot going on, including some Cayuse-like funk. It is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy this style, it is a great wine. I thought it was even better the second night.
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8/8/2021 - jstrovel@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
very light but juicy. Light red fruits throughout.
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8/7/2021 - ziavino wrote: 90 Points
On the lighter side of Grenache, sporting an elegant mouthfeel throughout. Red cherry and raspberry notes lead the way up front, with notes of milk chocolate and spice weaving in and a pinch of black pepper that lingers on the medium finish.
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7/29/2021 - scotty_b wrote: 87 Points
Well made, but a bit funky. Strong rustic feel with a ton of black pepper.
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6/28/2021 - Ortiz Brown Likes this wine: 91 Points
Clear cranberry color in the glass with a nose of sour cherry and a funky element.
On the palate the wine is crazy, yo! Robust, tart, and crisp on entry with cranberry, cherry hard candy, and cherry cola flavors up-front with bramble, molasses, barnyard, and sage following. The finish is zippy and long. So much complexity if a bit disjointed but memorable for sure. What a ride! I'd be curious to see how this would age for 10 years.
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4/1/2021 - RPerro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light and fresh, this drank very well on the second night. Red berry fruit, hints of tobacco, bramble and maybe a touch of barnyard funk. Still has years of development ahead of it, so no rush on consuming. Drink now with air - 2030.
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2/12/2021 - kend707 wrote: 88 Points
Not my choice in Grenache. Slight bitterness throughout. Very thin, Beaujolais-like.
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2/9/2021 - Clark W Griswold Likes this wine: 91 Points
Double decant. Crunchy red fruits. Floral, Funky and Meaty. Some peppery notes. Smooths out after an hour or two. Almost drinks like a pinot. Sure to improve with time and take on a bit of weight. One of my least favorite k wines but I really do love them all.
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1/13/2021 - sid_loves_wine wrote: flawed
This was incredibly disappointing for me, and I've been a huge fan of K Vintners (Syrah) for some time now. It was interesting yes, but felt so off that I actually wonder if I got a flawed bottle. I really don't think so (didn't feel corked or "muted"- seems like a real cork to me, so I guess it's possible.) Cork was also slightly depressed.
The nose was interesting, but not very inviting. Dunnuck and Parker both mention something like "decayed flowers" which is incredibly accurate, and not in a great way. Smelled like a grandma's perfume drawer that hadn't been opened in years. Sort of a weird peanut butter tone also, which I actually also got with a K Vintners Hidden Syrah recently (thankfully that also showed a lot of other great qualities). Not a lot of intense fruit for me, maaaybe something like dried/muted strawberry. Was still hoping for a nicely energetic palate. (I didn't /hate/ the nose by itself, but didn't love it either. A pinch of red cherry by day 2, but still not very harmonious. Extremely vegetal without any ripeness or brightness to back it up.)
Alas, palate was even weirder. There are tannins, but basically imperceptible- this would be totally fine if it showed good acidity, but I found it to have staggeringly low acidity (anyone else experience this?) making it feel watery and tepid. Even worse, that weird peanut butter/dead flowers thing was very pronounced here too, making the finish so unusually BITTER that I wanted to get the taste out of my mouth as soon as possible. Barely any fruit or energy, just bitter earth. The acidity picked up VERY slightly by day two, but that bitterness is still incredibly overwhelming. I love savory/earthy wines, and this was not like any one I've had before.
Really not sure I'm willing to spend another $40 to see if I got a flawed bottle or not...do my tasting notes resonate with anyone else? Marking as flawed for now so I don't affect the scores I guess...but I actually doubt it was flawed at all.
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1/10/2021 - seijaro Likes this wine: 94 Points
A big mouthful, sweet plums and prunes. Not your typical Grenache but quite delicious. Only decanted 45 minutes ahead, that was enough to bring it up.
7/30/21 Another bottle = 93. Same comments as January, but the Jack Daniels Pulled Pork was a bit spicy and overran it a little. Still delicious for us Grenache fans.
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1/2/2021 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Outside of the usual suspects in CdP (beaucastel - pegau - charvin etc) I have really lost my taste for Grenache. Domestic versions even more so. Here is a wonderful exception. Decanted 2 hrs, the nose and palate avoid the main Grenache pitfall for me, overripe or roasted strawberries. Instead, I found this rather chiseled and with great focus, certainly some lovely fruit to enjoy, but its freshness was obvious and palate cleansing. Closing note of white pepper solidifies, and I think this is still holding back and needs 3 to 5 years to fully blossom. Well done.
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4/16/2020 - ElJefe467 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light yet inky
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